The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-24
THE TALLY-sHEET FORGERS.

THE TALLY SHEET FORGERS.
The Sentinel has resumed with cheerful
alacrity the work of defending the tallysheet
forgers. The rapidity with which they dodge
from post to pillar in their effort to escape the
clutches of the law makes it somewhat diff
cult for the defense to keep up with the fugi-
tives, but their organ is equal to the occasion.
The line of defense changes with each new de-
velopment in the case. Just now it is an at
tempt to divert public attention from the real
criminals by starting hue and cry after an
imaginary one. 1t is the old dodge of ''stop
thief" An attempt is made to break the
force of the indictments against the Coy
gang by disappearing and magnifying
the facts in regard to General Carnahan. The
same tactics were pursued in the Green Smith
controversy, the asylum investigations and
the southern prison frauds. As fast as Dem
ocrats were caught and shown to be thieves
or rascals, the party bosses and managers
rallied to their defense with you're another"
It did not win then and it will not now. The
public understand the nature of the fraud
election and they know where to look for the
perpetrators. The attempt of the Coy gang
to hide behind General Carnahan will neither
harm him nor help them. The public mind
will not be at all confused by the cunning at
tempt to substitute an imaginary crime for
real one. Even if General Carnahan had COM
mitted crime, violated the law, or done
anything wrong that would not help the case
of the tally-sheet forgers nor lessen the weight
of evidence against them. If he were thou
sand times a criminal it would be no defense
for them. And if he has done any thing GRIM
inal, or if there were any reason to believe so,
or any evidence, direct circumstantial, in
dicating much, or any acts or facts point
ing that way, or the slightest ground for sus-
picion, the Journal would say let him be
made to face the music. The Journals posi-
ton first, last and all the time is, f'let no
guilty man escape"
But, while it would not lift finger to
shield General Carnahan in any wrong-doing,
it does not propose to let a gang of Democrat
ic scoundrels divert attention from themselves
and from acts which should consign them to
the penitentiary by raising racket about
Carnahan. He has done nothing wrong, and
the public know it; the Sim Coy gang have
committed crime and the public know that,
too. The circular issued by General Carna-
han was intended to prevent just such frauds
as were subsequently perpetrated. 1t shows,
on its face, that it was an honest effort to cir
cumvent fraud. The very fact that it was
sent out as a circular shows there was no
with brass band, and if General Carnahan
had intended anything wrong he would not
have announced his plans in circular. Men
who are contemplating fraud work as the Coy
gang did, by secret methods, by whispered
consultations and at late hours of the night.
General Carnahan's circular may possibly have
been technical violation of the law, though
we have no evidence that it was. The fact
that the grand jury, under the instructions of
the court and strict construction of the law,
returned an Indictment against him, shows
they thought it did involve technical viola
ton of law. But all this is aside from the
point. Let every tub stand on its own bot
tom. If General Canadian has done or tried
TO do any wrong let the facts be brought out.
Nothing he has done or tried to do can lessen
or mitigate the crime of the Sim Coy gang,
who did get possession Of the tally-sheets and
did alter and forge returns. Let the cases be
called